Comments for Reason #26,395 why Carborundum has an ulcer.

Reason #26,395 why Carborundum has an ulcer.

2009-04-06T12:00:41Z

Apropos of John's "Send Me Some Stukas!" post, I got a few pix from one of my VHPA gunship buds that I think clarify a couple of sentences in the An Loc battle vignette.

Although a pair of Cobras at altitude made a fairly small target for Bad Guy AA gunners...

...Cobras generally didn't hang around at that altitude.

This illustrates the phrase "...the Cobras dived at an extreme angle in order to place their unguided rockets directly on target..." kinda nicely, don'tcha think?

And, of course, every time some guy who drove a fighter for a living moaned about going into a radical dive to hit a target, we'd jes' smile...

The smoke's not from farmers burning off rice paddies, just in case you were wondering...

Comment from BillT on 2009-04-07

2009-04-07T09:49:28Z

That mass extinction event? All Tuttle's fault.

I've told you and *told* you, the trilobites were already dead when I stepped on them!

Oh, wait. That was the Permian. Okay, Cretaceous, Cretataceous -- ah!

I've told you and *told* you, the theropods were already dead when the bomb went off!

Ummmmm -- wait, that didn't come out right...

Comment from Josh on 2009-04-07

2009-04-07T08:07:30Z

This all looks like, in the words of Rush, "more fun than a human being should be allowed to have"!

And, of course, every time some guy who drove a fighter for a living moaned about going into a radical dive to hit a target, we'd jes' smile...

If they don't enjoy radical dives, why are they fighter pilots? They could have driven a nice sedate 737 for a living instead...

Comment from carborundum on 2009-04-06

2009-04-07T03:19:35Z

*An* ulcer? Oh, I dream of the days when I had only one ulcer! I think it was sometime in the Cretaceous. (That mass extinction event? All Tuttle's fault.)

Comment from BillT on 2009-04-06

2009-04-06T21:10:18Z

How many G's is the Cobra rated for?

A pretty narrow range -- +0.5 to +1.5.

I'm guessing the wingover maintains positive G since the masts seem to be staying on,

Yup. It's a 1G maneuver when you do it properly. But the mast will stay put -- it's the rotor hub that snaps off and goes on its own merry way. We call that, "Launching the frisbee."

but how about the pull out?

*tsk*

It's called "recovering from diving flight" and it's done with a smooth, rolling cyclic application to either side before initiating any aft cyclic input. Otherwise, you launch the frisbee.

Orrrrr, you get into settling with power at 4,000fpm and fold the blades. This is called, "racing the rockets to the target." and it is frowned upon by the other occupant of the aircraft...

Comment from BillT on 2009-04-06

2009-04-06T19:49:36Z

that was AA blowing up when it missed the Cobras

Ehhhh, I don't think this series showed *that* much excitement. The pix were shot through the side canopy of another Cobra, because the originals show sunglow in the upper right (I cropped 'em some to keep the aircraft as the center-of-interest). Black lines and dots are crud on the canopy, and the darkish smudge is probably a grease smudge.

The smoke is all from fires started by rockets and tracers -- which means that's where the scouts found targets. Lotta smoke in the last pic = lotta targets on the reverse slope of the hill.

Comment from Pogue on 2009-04-06

2009-04-06T19:33:35Z

How many G's is the Cobra rated for? I'm guessing the wingover maintains positive G since the masts seem to be staying on, but how about the pull out?

Comment from olga on 2009-04-06

2009-04-06T17:03:58Z

AWESOME...

Comment from AFSister on 2009-04-06

2009-04-06T16:48:08Z

OK. I was hoping that's what it was... but I wasn't

Comment from Boquisucio on 2009-04-06

2009-04-06T16:14:36Z

Man - Those Vietnamese Alcoholics sure were strung-up! Imagine, catching fire when they couldn't score some Cobras. I just wonder in what step, they were in; 7 or 8?

Comment from Russ on 2009-04-06

2009-04-06T15:37:53Z

AFSister, that was AA blowing up when it missed the Cobras

Comment from LT Rusty on 2009-04-06

2009-04-06T14:46:18Z

Ooooh ... An Loc ... One of those wouldn't be flown by Maj. Larry McKay, would it?

Comment from AFSister on 2009-04-06

2009-04-06T13:50:19Z

Bill- maybe it's just me being stupid, but what blew up?